Sept. 14, 2012 — The hallway point of the season is here and the Vikings are looking good.
After another fourth quarter comeback effort against the Fleming County Panthers due to sharp offensive play in combination with a couple of big breaks have put the Vikings in good position at the halfway point of the season.
A healthy balance of pass and run has spelled success for sophomore quarterback Justin Graham, who rushed for 105 yards and passed for 120, while also scoring seven collective touchdowns on the night (five rushing, two passing).
That is some pretty impressive numbers for a first year starter, who has engineered the Viking offense to work with his own unique offensive abilities.
Oh yeah, and speed demon Chris Baker also added 158 to the running total.
What does this do for the Rowan offense? Well, it makes them pretty darn difficult to prepare for.
As an opposing defensive unit, you must in essence pick your poison when choosing an approach to defend the Vikings. Do you try and contain Graham on the ground? Or do you look to contain Baker?
With that said, was does this week’s trip to Central Kentucky hold for the Vikings? The answer…smash mouth football.
At 0-4, West Jessamine is a team desperate to pick up its first win, and it most likely views the Vikings as the team to break the cycle.
Polar opposite of last week’s opponent in Fleming, the Colts are a team that likes to run the football, and do so with little finesse.
A heartbreaking 31-28 loss to Mercer County could serve as some volatile fuel for West Jessamine. Its biggest weapon of choice will be in running back Devin Taylor, who rushed for a game-high 118 yards.
The Colts will run the ball up the gut and between the tackles, meaning its up to the Rowan defensive front to put up the stale mate.
Offensively, it’s pretty simple for the Vikings. Run the ball well and keep turnovers down. If they do this Rowan will once again find itself in a position to grab another win.
Tonight’s game in Nicholasville kicks off at 7:30 p.m.
The Morehead News will more on the Vikings vs. the Colts in next Tuesday’s edition of sports.
Grant Stevens can be reached at gstevens@themoreheadnews.com or by telephone at 784-4116.
